


Parentage

by carmenta



Category: Coldfire Trilogy - C. S. Friedman
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-05-06
Updated: 2007-05-06
Packaged: 2017-10-11 20:55:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/117018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carmenta/pseuds/carmenta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dysfunctional family relationships that can almost make a baby Iezu cry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Parentage

"Out. Now."

"No." A glare, a pout, arms folded petulantly. "I want answers. You said I could ask those questions later, and you said that two months ago."

"You missed your opportunity." Tarrant returned his attention to the book before him, resuming his transcription of quick notes into a tidier hand. Translation, once again, something that was occupying his time more and more these days now that he finally had enough material to begin his work on the Iezus' language and interaction in earnest.

"If you don't tell me, I won't help anymore." Riven perched on the corner of the heavy oak desk, ignoring the grey-eyed glower directed at him.

Tarrant reached out and very pointedly removed a book from where it was lying next to where the Iezu was sitting. It wasn't hard to interpret that particular glare – in the past it had meant that bloodshed was imminent, and it usually had been the time when Karril had fled the Hunter's presence. He was tempted to do the same right now, and only stayed because his participation in this afternoon's session had been specifically requested and he wasn't sure what the consequences of vanishing would be. Tarrant might no longer be undead, but that didn't mean that he was any less scary if he wanted to be.

Riven didn't seem to be quite so concerned with potential repercussions of annoying the man who had technically fathered him.

It was, Karril decided with a little frown, possibly the most twisted relationship between father and son he had ever seen. Not that he had witnessed any other relationships between Iezu and their mortal fathers before - he didn't even know his own human progenitor, and neither did any of the other Iezu. Riven was something of an abnormality in that regard.

Judging by Gerald Tarrant's approach to Iezu fatherhood, that probably was a good thing. Karril wasn't sure at all whether he would have liked to be in Riven's shoes. He had known Tarrant for centuries, and had always enjoyed the man's company and his pleasures. But now he was taking pleasure in deliberately annoying his offspring, and Karril felt divided in his loyalties. On the one hand, he probably should protest against the treatment, since it regularly sent Riven fleeing with fear. But on the other, he had to admit that the young Iezu was a brat and that Tarrant might be justified in putting him into his place.

Although throwing things at him was perhaps not quite so acceptable, Karril thought as he ducked out of the way of a flying letter opener. It didn't hit Riven but sailed through his suddenly translucent form, then clattered on the floor.

Bad idea to disturb Tarrant while he was making notes. Even Karril knew better than that. Even Damien knew better, and he at times seemed to take an almost unholy glee out of poking Tarrant's irritable spots. Riven would have to learn that there were times when it was acceptable to tease a chosen mortal, and times when it was best to lie low lest said mortal began to earnestly look into applicable methods of Iezu murder. Especially when the mortal in question was the only one in history who'd already killed a Iezu before.

Damien calmly picked up the letter opener, returned it to the desk, exchanged a look with Tarrant that made the adept's stormy expression calm a little. Then he settled back into his chair and resumed cleaning his weapons, at the same time keeping an eye on the proceedings. He wasn't going to get involved in this, Karril knew, not after the first time he'd attempted it. He was still far too wary of Riven for that – hardly surprising when the Iezu kept trying to flirt with him, which in turn caused Tarrant to resort to dark glowers and calmly delivered death threats.

Sometimes Karril wondered whether, after years of travelling with Tarrant, there still was anything that could truly faze him. Anything that didn't originate from Tarrant himself, at least. Damien had already gone beyond so many of his personal limits that he'd probably have a hard time setting borders again to divide the normal from the unusual. Two Iezu in a room, one of them observing while the other acted like a petulant child, appeared to rate as hardly worth mentioning by now. Damien had balked a few times during the initial sessions, but he'd gotten used to it. However, he'd never left them alone with Tarrant. Karril wondered what the motives behind that were, and whether he even wanted to know them. Some things were best left undiscovered.

"Did you hear? I won't help."

"Good." The icy voice now, which was much worse than the calm tone, and Karril had to fight the urge to fade a little. Full corporeality could be scary at times. "Then I might actually be able to finish this."

Riven pouted, but stayed where he was. Mentally shaking his head, Karril could only pity him for attempting empty threats. Tarrant knew better than to fall for something like that after Riven had been following him around for months. There were times when Karril suspected that tormenting Riven was actually a welcome form of stress relief.

Tarrant didn't have to be quite so frightening about it, though. Of course, Damien was receiving the same treatment and he seemed to not be bothered by it at all. He treated it more as a form of foreplay, something Karril felt a lot more comfortable with.

Perhaps Tarrant wasn't interested in the fatherhood of a Iezu? But he kept giving Riven just the right amount of attention to keep him interested and to make him come back whenever he was scared off. It almost seemed to be a game to him, pleasing in its intricacy. Which in turn pleased Karril, and which again left him with the dilemma of feeling that he should choose sides.

Once more he listened to Tarrant make an offhand comment that sent Riven scrambling into transparency. Saw the small smile on the adept's face, saw Damien shake his head in exasperation before he resumed reassembling his springbolt.

Parental relationships, he decided, were far too complicated to bother even trying to understand them.


End file.
